Cargo hook

ABSTRACT

A cargo hook for lifting an object tied with a strap, string or similar binding means, the hook including a shank and a tip portion formed integrally therewith and forming a hook gap therebetween. A supporting arm is pivotally connected to the shank and has an engaging element at a free end thereof for engagement with the object at a distance from the string or strap. A handle is fixed to the shank so that the shank and tip portions may be manually pivoted relative to the support to thereby force the tip portion between the binding means and the object. A latch arm is pivotally connected to the shank portion and biased to a position in which it bridges the hook gap, the latch arm being provided with a grip portion which extends to a position adjacent the handle whereby it may be manually operated for opening the latch arm.

United States Patent 1191 Svensson et al.

[ 1 Nov. 25, 1975 1 CARGO HOOK [73] Assignee: Bulten-Kanthal Aktiebolag, Sweden [22] Filed: Nov. 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 413,412

[52] U.S. Cl. 294/82 R; 294/78 R [51] Int. Cl. B66C 1/36 [58] Field of Search 294/15, 17. 26, 67 DA,

294/78 R, 82 R, 83 R; 24/230.5 R, 230.5 CS, 241 P, 241 PP, 241 PS; 254/77, 131.5, 132

Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant E.raminer-Johnny D. Cherry Attorney, Agent, or FirmHill. Gross, Simpson, Van Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson [57] ABSTRACT A cargo hook for lifting an object tied with a strap, string or similar binding means, the hook including a shank and a tip portion formed integrally therewith and forming a hook gap therebetween. A supporting arm is pivotally connected to the shank and has an engaging element at a free end thereof for engagement with the object at a distance from the string or strap. A handle is fixed to the shank so that the shank and tip portions may be manually pivoted relative to the support to thereby force the tip portion between the binding means and the object. A latch arm is pivotally connected to the shank portion and biased to a position inwhich it bridges the hook gap, the latch arm being provided with a grip portion which extends to a position adjacent the handle whereby it may be manually operated for opening the latch arm.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov.25, 1975 3,922,028

CARGO nook BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l, Field of the Invention This invention'relates to a cargo hook which, without being useful for that purpose only, is particularly intended to be used for lifting objects whichare tied by means of a strap or a string, in such a manner that the hook is received between the object and the strap or string. Pulp bales or packages of pulp bales may be mentioned as examples of such objects. For convenience, only objects tied by means of straps are mentioned below.

2. Prior Art On lifting strapped pulp bales or packages of pulp bales one or more cargo hooks are hooked onto the straps. Inasmuch as the straps are normallytightly, stretched the hooking-on is a troublesome operation; the hook tip has to be manually inserted between the bale and the tightened strap and this requires a certain effort and may also be time consumming. Also the disengagement of the hook has been problematical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide a cargo hook which may be quickly and easily hooked onto and disengaged from the strap or similar binding means tied about an object.

According to the present invention, a cargo hook is provided having a shank portion adapted to be connected to a lifting device, and a tip portion is formed integrally with the shank portion and forms a hook gap therewith. The tip portion is adapted to be introduced between the binding means and the object. A support arm is connected to the shank portion by way ofjournal means which enable pivoting of the shank portion relative to the support arm. The support arm has a free end, and an engagement element is fixed on the free end for engagement with the object at a distance from the binding means. A handle is secured to the shank so that the shank portion and the tip portion may be manually pivoted relative to the support arm which is engaged with the object to thereby force the tip portion between the binding means and the object.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown on the attached drawing, in which:

ON THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view according to a cargo hook of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side-view, partly in section, of the cargo hook;

FIG. 3 is a side-view of the cargo hook showing the tip portion being inserted under a strap; and

FIG. 4 is a side-view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the cargo hook in its final position and ready for lifting.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWING The cargo hook as shown has an essentially flat, plateshaped shank portion 11 (the plane of the plate is perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2) which at one end has a hole 12 for connection of the hook to a wire cable, a chain, a lifting bar or any other portion of a lifting device (not shown). At its other end the shank portion 11 merges integrally with a hook or tip portion 13, formed by an essentially straight carrier portion 14 'which with the cargo hook supported at the upper end of-the shank-is'essentially horizontal and which forwardly (to theleft in FIG. 1) merges with an upwardly bent tip 15.The carrier portion -l4 is similarly plateshaped but the upper side thereof is convex in crosssect-ion.

The shank portion 11 has, at the front side .thereof, i.e., the side facing the tip 15 and the hook gap formed between the tip and the shank portion, a welded-on tab 16 which carries a pivotable latch arm 1.7.The latch arm 17 is biased by atorsion spring 18 in such a manner that it"always tends to take the position as shwon in FIG. 1 wherein the free end thereof rests on the rear surface ofthe hook. tip. 15 so that the latch arm 17 blocks the hook gap. The latch arm 17 serves to prevent a string, a rope, a strap or the like which is engaged'in the hook from being unintentionally released, and it may be swung rearwardly against the action of the spring I8, ,on one hand by being pressed against the element whichis to be hooked on and on the other hand by pulling a rearwardly extending handle bar 19 which is pivotally connected to the latch arm 17 and the rear portion 20 of which isbent upwardly.

At its rear side the shank portion 11 has a rearwardly freely extending welded-on handle 21 which is tubular and in the front portion thereof houses the handlebar 19 which is movable longitudinally of the handle 21.

The rear upwardly bent portion 20 of the handle bar 19 protrudes upwardly through a longitudinal slot 22 in the handle 21 and forms a grip which may be pulled rearwardly by the thumb as the handle 21 is gripped.

On its front side the shank portion 11 has, along each one of its opposite vertical side edges, a journal tab 23 with a journal means or pivot pin 24 running parallel to slightly forward of the plane of the shank portion 11, which pivot pin 24 carries a pivotable U-shaped support arm 25. In FIG. 2, only one leg of the U-shaped support arm and a bight 26 connecting the rear ends of the legs are visible. The support arm 25 which embraces the shank portion 1 l with its two legs has, at the free forward end of each leg an inwardly turned abutment 27 which, in cooperation with the front side of the shank portion 11, serves to limit the freedom of the support arm 25 to pivot clockwise relative to the shank portion 11. The freedom of pivoting in the opposite direction is limited by the bight 26 and the handle 21.

At the rear side of the bight 26 of the U-shaped support arm there is welded on a pin 28 with a downwardly directed tip 29 which is intended to be depressed into the object which is to be lifted.

The operation on lifting a load, viz. a pulp bale package, by means of the illustrated cargo hook is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The cargo hook which is hanging from a wire 30 or the like is gripped by the handle 21 and the tip 15 is inserted under one edge of the binding means, such as a strap a string or strip 31 which is tied around the object or pulp bale package 32. Then, the support arm 25 will rest on the top of the bale package 32 at some distance from the strap 31 and may be manually depressed into the bale package, as is shown in FIG. 3. Then, the handle 21 is depressed whereby the cargo hook, while resting on the support arm 25, pivots clockwise around the pivot pin 24 so that the tip 15 and the carrier portion 14 are forced in beneath the strap 31 which action thereby pivots the latch arm 17 rearwardly until the strap 31 has passed the free end of the latch arm 17 and the spring 18 swings back the latch arm 17, see FIG. 4. The cargo hook with the package 3 32 may then be lifted by the wire 30.

Although the tip portion 13 is not arcuately bent it may at least described. as being approximately arcuately bent around the pivot pin 24 which thus will re main in a comparatively fixed position relative to the pulp bale package 32. Preferably, the length of the support arm 25 shall have a predetermined relation to the arc radius of the tip portion 13, and as a broad value a length of 2 times this radius may be taken. However, it should be noted that rather great departures from that value may be permitted without impairing the function or handiness.

I claim: 1. A cargo hook for lifting an object tied by binding means, comprising in combination: v a. a shank portion having a lifting connection at one end, and a wedge-shaped tip portion integral with the other end and having a linear lifting surface, arcuate in cross-section, extending at an acute angle therewith in underlying relationto said lifting connection to define a hook gap; b. a handle rigidly connected to said shank portion and projecting away from said tip portion; 0. a support arm having a free end on the side of said shank portion opposite to said tip portion; d. journal means between said tip portion and said lifting connection and pivotally connecting the 4 other end of said support arm to said shank tion; and

e. a pointed engagement element on said free end for engaging the object remotely from said binding means.

2. A cargo hook according to claim 1 which includes,

a pair of stop abutments on said support arm for limiting pivoting thereof with respect to said shank portion.

3. A cargo hook according to claim 1 including a. a latch arm pivotally carried by said shankportion and normally bridging said hook gap;

b. a spring acting between said latch arm and said shank portion and biasing said latch arm to the bridging position; and

c. release means pivotally connected to said latch arm and extneding through an aperture in said shank portion, and including a transversely extend- 1 ing portion for being finger-moved against the force ofsaid spring.

4. A cargo hook according to claim 3 in which said handle is hollow, said release means extending into said handle, and said transversely extending portion projecting radially through an elongated slot in the handle.

5. A cargo hook according to claim 9 in which said linear lifitng surface is a cylindrical segment who lon gitudinal axis is disposed at said acute angle.

por- 

1. A cargo hook for lifting an object tied by binding means, comprising in combination: a. a shank portion having a lifting connection at one end, and a wedge-shaped tip portion integral with the other end and having a linear lifting surface, arcuate in cross-section, extending at an acute angle therewith in underlying relation to said lifting connection to define a hook gap; b. a handle rigidly connected to said shank portion and projecting away from said tip portion; c. a support arm having a free end on the side of said shank portion opposite to said tip portion; d. journal means between said tip portion and said lifting connection and pivotally connecting the other end of said support arm to said shank portion; and e. a pointed engagement element on said free end for engaging the object remotely from said binding means.
 2. A cargo hook according to claim 1 which includes a pair of stop abutments on said support arm for limiting pivoting thereof with respect to said shank portion.
 3. A cargo hook according to claim 1 including a. a latch arm pivotally carried by said shank portion and normally bridging said hook gap; b. a spring acting between said latch arm and said shank portion and biasing said latch arm to the bridging position; and c. release means pivotally connected to said latch arm and extneding through an aperture in said shank portion, and including a transversely extending portion for being finger-moved against the force of said spring.
 4. A cargo hook according to claim 3 in which said handle is hollow, said release means extending into said handle, and said transversely extending portion projecting radially through an elongated slot in the handle.
 5. A cargo hook according to claim 9 in which said linear lifitng surface is a cylindrical segment whose longitudinal axis is disposed at said acute angle. 